The Progressive

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A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Mandy Simon, (202) 236-7031; media@dcaclu.org

Senate Introduces Legislation To Create Much Needed Criminal Justice Commission

WASHINGTON

Significant legislation was introduced Tuesday in the Senate that would create a bi-partisan commission to examine the United States criminal justice system. The legislation, titled the National Criminal Justice Commission Act, was introduced by Senator Jim Webb (D-VA). The commission would offer reform recommendations in a number of important areas designed to prevent, deter and reduce crime and violence.

The following can be attributed to Laura W. Murphy, Director of the American Civil Liberties Union Washington Legislative Office:

"The National Criminal Justice Commission Act is an important step toward improving our criminal justice system. Our current criminal justice system is both unfair and unsustainable. More than half of all people released from prison will return within three years, incarceration and related costs have skyrocketed and our system perpetuates unjust racial and economic divisions."

The following can be attributed to Jennifer Bellamy, ACLU Legislative Counsel:

"Our criminal justice system should keep communities safe, operate fairly and be cost effective. We should not tolerate a system that treats people unfairly because of the color of their skin or the size of their bank accounts. We look forward to continuing to work with Congress in pushing substantive and meaningful criminal justice reform."

The American Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1920 and is our nation's guardian of liberty. The ACLU works in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.

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